


Sleep As Deep As The Sea

by CatMeisterCoal



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder, graphic description of blood, not jester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 11:39:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17202770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatMeisterCoal/pseuds/CatMeisterCoal
Summary: Young Jester discovers that you can do something about the problems you see going on around you. Perhaps not in the best of ways though.





	Sleep As Deep As The Sea

It was so flowy and lovely and perfect! The little tiefling girl bounds around the room letting her lovely new dress flutter and flow with each jump as she joyously shows off her the dress her mama bought for her. Then her mama had to go away for another client required her presence but that’s okay, she’s used to at least. She doesn’t like that her mama had to work so much but she knew it was just so they could live the life they did. Her mama would sing for people and she would listen to the melodious sounds her mother made that warmed her heart because her mama was just so talented. She loved her so much and her mama, the Ruby of the Sea as she was called by those who didn’t really know her loved her just as much. With time, her mother taught her how to paint and draw which made the sweet girl so happy. She was given all the toys she could ever want and there was always yummy food. Her mother always dressed her beautifully but never took the little girl out to show off all the pretty dresses she got from her mama. The sweet girl didn’t like that as much but she did get to show all the pretty ladies that worked for her mother the pretty dresses she got.

The little girl had her own big room filled with toys, books, dresses, and a big fluffy bed that was so much fun but her mother would gently scold her if she did. It became very clear to her what her mama and her maidens did when she became old enough to be told. She told her mama that she didn’t mind because of course so many would want to meet her since she was so beautiful, kind, and talented. When she told her mother this her mother smiled then picked her up and smooched her cheeks leaving dark red lipstick making her giggle, she had such a silly mama. It’s not as though she was confined to her room but she had to call her mother “The Ruby of the Sea” when people were around and even sometimes when there weren’t people. Still, life was good and she didn’t have anything to complain or worry about. She just went about her days enjoying herself, learning art from her mother, and playing down the halls of their grand home.

Screams echoed out of the room causing the sweet girl to stop in her tracks, almost dropping her doll. Thunderous pounding shook the walls and floor in a rhythmic thump-ah-thump-ah as the cries continued not in pleasure, no, the little girl knew all too well now what those sounded like. These shouts were the ones made when in pain. The shock dispersed and her little, slippered feet carried her to her mother’s room, tears streaming down her face in horrific realization. She quickly explained what was going on to her mother and surely she would save the poor woman, storm in there like a wrathful goddess ready to strike down the evildoer and make that cruel person pay for causing one of her maidens so much pain. Her mama looked down at her, hair neatly curled up, heart-shaped face perfect and glowing, her glimmering eyes wet with unshed tears but she said nothing nor did she stand up to march through the halls to cull righteous judgement. No, she simply lifted her sweet daughter and cradled her in her arms to coo at her soothingly, promising that all would be well and she needn’t worry. The Ruby of the Sea sang to her daughter as just down the hall the screams continued to echo and reverberate within the little girl’s mind as she clutched her doll. A terrible thought rang out in her mind: had her mother met the same fate?

That night the little girl had cried herself to sleep mourning the poor woman who had come to face such a terrible client who had seemingly reveled in her pain. She had no nightmares but she had no dreams and awoke to a stunning silence that scared her more than the sounds the maiden had made. The fine covers of her bed rustled softly as she got out of bed and carefully put on her embroidered morning slippers then walked out for breakfast leaving her beloved doll on the bed. Once in the hall filled with all its grandeur she saw a woman walk out of the room that she had heard the screams emanate from. The woman was beautiful but had been marred. Her hair was a flaming red that was tousled and knotted and hanging long down her back, her green eyes while beautiful were dull with exhaustion, bright, purple bruises sprouted along her porcelain neck, and a golden bed cover with gentle swirls hung heavy about her fragile frame. The little girl felt like crying again as the woman fled from her gaze to hide and recover. She held back her tears and continued on where she and her mother normally had breakfast.

Then she saw him and it had to be him for he looked as all clients do when they had satisfied themselves with their night of fun with his clothes in disarray, eyes alight as though on fire, and messy hair. Her mother stood beside him as she talked with him with a tightness to her smile that the sweet girl had never seen before. The Ruby of the Sea’s laugh rang out as sweet as ever but bubbled nervously that to the untrained ear could be mistaken for joviality. The man spotted the little girl then gently teased her mother that she should know better than to hand them out so young and her mother replied that she would be careful without skipping a beat pretending not to take insult at his insinuation. Then he left merrily on his way to go about his day undoubtedly performing as kindly as he had just last night. Her mother whisked her away to enjoy a splendorous feast of food chock full of all her favorites while her mother rambled away about all the funny things her clients had told her about. The Ruby of the Sea’s daughter heard none of it and all the fine delicacies tasted no better than ash in her mouth as she committed the face of that cruel man to memory from his pale skin puckered and spotted from age to his cruel blue eye free of honesty to his bushy mustache the color of foul mustard. Silently, she swore vengeance and she was heard.

Hidden away in her room in the corner of the home that was more of palace she painted her favorite flowers to help make her mama smile once more since she had worried her so much this morning. That’s when she heard a tiny clink and felt the presence of someone but when she turned to look no one was there but a little note was slipped beneath her glass of juice.

“I am here. I will help,” read the little slip making tears fall down the little girl’s cheeks once again but this time it was from relief.

Her mother happily accepted the lovely painting her daughter made when she finally had some time to spare and remarked how beautiful it was and how talented her daughter was becoming. Then, seemingly as quickly as she had come, she had to leave to attend to another client so, remorsefully, she said goodbye to her daughter. As her mama left the girl noticed that she seemed relieved by the little gesture. The sweet girl knew better than that and held a pinch of remorse in her heart. She went about her room again, looking for something to do then she heard some things knocking about and felt the same presence as before. She smiled and looked around her hoping to see this mysterious figure but saw nothing. Then she heard a voice whisper to her gently and soothingly telling her they should play a game. She quickly agreed and they played with cards then drew some together all the while the invisible being told her stories of heroes and strange happenings. These stories didn’t always have happy endings nor did some of the things that happened in them seem plausible but that’s part of the reason the little girl liked them. They were like nothing she had ever heard before. As the day became night the girl felt herself tire and the figure who had spent all day with her playing tucked her in and wished her goodnight making her smile lazily. That night she dreamed of strange heroes that did miraculous things.

As time went by, the being who became known to her as the traveler taught her many things including how to heal with magic. When she first showed this to her mother she was ecstatic and so proud of her little girl who revealed herself to be talented in the magical arts. She even told her mother about the traveler who visited her to tell her stories and teach her things but that had made her mama frown with worry until her daughter told her that he was invisible. That had made her laugh happily and pat her little girl’s head, commenting that she was happy the she had found a friend. Days wore on to weeks and weeks wore on to months in which the traveler visited her randomly but always with something new to teach her, something new to tell her. Eventually she learned that the traveler was a god and had granted her these abilities and when he told her she let him know she was very grateful for everything which made the traveler smile, well, she felt like he was smiling. With time she learned to feel his expressions, his feelings than try to look for a face that was never there. That was when he lead her about at night outside of her home to roam the streets and cause little bits of mischief while evading befuddled guards and townsfolk to always return safely home.

One night she was awoken from sleep by the traveler and asked to follow him. When she asked him why to which he replied he intended on keeping his promise in return for how devoutly she had followed him. After all this time the sweet girl had not forgotten the face of the man who had caused the maiden so much pain and lept out of bed. 

She remembers it all as she lies back on the ground, a bed roll beneath her instead of a downy bed. Her new companions softly huff or loudly snore as they all sleep under the stars after the long day of travel. She’s done so much now and done so much good but she remembers, oh, how she remembers. It’s not as though she’s lied to any of them but they don’t know. They wouldn’t believe her would they? Even so, it happened, it all happened…

She waited and as she waited she hummed a sweet, airy tune and no one saw her or even passed down the throughway. They would be alone. Suddenly the man tumbles out of the tavern, his feet weighed down and balance put off from all that he had to drink then he stumbles down the throughway waving off all offers to see him home to which he responded he wasn’t some dainty lass they were to take home to have their fun with making many of the patrons laugh. The girl sneered at his callousness and waited for him to approach her shadowy alcove.

In that moment as she watched his drunken gate a sliver of ice dug its way into her spine as she realized that she did not know what she would do. Her heart raced as a panic took her knowing that if she did not come up with something then the moment would simply pass her by. Then a whisper at the back of her mind calmed her and she became confident as she waited for the foul man. A cool wind blew by as the dull tapping of his boots slowly approached her interspersed with the slap of a pouch and the jingling of keys that had an unknown purpose. He took his time as he shambled in the direction of his home even taking moments to lean against walls to catch himself or to catch his breath from the onerous effort that walking was for him in that moment. Finally he made it into her bubble, her shadowed hide away and she stepped out calmly in front of him making him pause and stagger. He slurred out a vicious curse then asked what a pup like her was doing around her and if she was looking for a bit of extra bit of coin he wasn’t going to give it even if she was willing to make it worth his while. Without a word she raised her hands and a shimmer about her hands appeared and suddenly then man was without a head. Indeed, the lifeless body even seemed to jolt a little as though he were a chicken that had just been beheaded before slumping heavily onto the ground with a shimmering, pink blade made of magic above it. Blood oozed and pooled just in front of her feet and a tingle of joy and relief sprang up in her chest as tears fell. The whisper returned telling her to make it look like a theft so she purloined his pouch weighed with coin and made her escape. She gave heartfelt thanks to the traveler as she tossed the pouch over the railing of a bridge for it to plunge in the lazy river making a gentle splash.

In the morning she discovered news of the murder of the lord had spread when her mother told her she had heard news that one of her clients had met his end. The sweet girl was truly surprised since she didn’t think his death would be discovered so quickly and she believes her mother thought she was truly innocent for she said nothing more of it. However, sometimes her mother gives her a strange look or a lingering glance that makes her daughter wonder if she knows. The look started after another client went missing and indeed she had done what her mother might suspect of her but she cannot tell her for no other helped that maiden and so many ugly men made their way through her mother’s door. Overtime more and more wound up dead eventually making people realize they shouldn’t mess with the maidens under the employ of the Ruby of the Sea for you would meet an ill fate. Each terrible soul hit the ground in a pool of their own blood so they could never make anyone scream like that again. All the while the daughter of the Ruby of the Sea bounced about causing little bits of mischief for her invisible friend. All was as it should be for indeed one should fear the gifts of the traveler.


End file.
